Flames Devour Academic Haven: Fire Destroys Library at Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce

Anjali SinghMay 15, 2025

Spread the love

New Delhi, May 15, 2025 — A quiet morning at Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce (SGGSCC), located in the heart of Delhi’s Pitampura area, turned tragic as a massive fire erupted inside the college’s central library. The blaze, reported shortly before 9 AM, rapidly escalated, engulfing the entire four-storey building and leaving behind a trail of destruction and deep concern in the academic community.

🔹 Fire Breaks Out Without Warning

Eyewitnesses reported thick plumes of smoke rising from the upper floors of the library around 8:55 AM. College staff immediately called the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), who dispatched 10 fire tenders to the site. Within minutes, firefighters arrived and began a tense operation that lasted several hours. Firefighters managed to control the flames by late morning, but by then, the damage was extensive.

The exact origin of the fire is still under investigation, though preliminary findings suggest that a short circuit in the electrical wiring could be the likely cause.

🔹 Loss Beyond Infrastructure

The library was not just a building; it was an intellectual cornerstone of the college. With more than 55,000 books, 100+ journals, and extensive digital resources, it served over 2,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Unique to the SGGSCC library was its Sikh Centre for Inter-Faith Studies, which housed rare texts and manuscripts on comparative religion and Sikhism. Many of these materials, officials fear, are now irretrievably lost.

College librarian Rajinder Kaur, visibly shaken, said:

“We’ve lost more than books. We’ve lost decades of academic history. Some of these books were irreplaceable. They were gifts from alumni, professors, and visiting scholars.”

🔹 Response from College Authorities and Government

Principal Dr. Jaswinder Singh issued a statement acknowledging the scale of the loss.

“We are thankful there are no casualties, but we mourn the loss of our academic archive. We are working closely with the fire department and the local administration to assess the full extent of damage.”

Delhi’s Higher Education Department has announced the formation of a special committee to inspect fire safety compliance in government-funded educational institutions across the city.

🔹 Student and Faculty Reactions

Students, especially those preparing for final exams, were devastated. “I had some of my thesis work stored in the reading room,” said Priya Sinha, an M.Com. final-year student. “I have no idea how I will complete my dissertation in time now.”

Faculty members, too, expressed concerns over disrupted lesson plans and research projects. “Years of curated academic content, archives, and projects have vanished. This is a wake-up call for all institutions to revisit safety preparedness,” said Professor Amanpreet Bedi from the Commerce Department.

🔹 What’s Next for SGGSCC?

The college administration has confirmed that an insurance claim process is underway. They also announced temporary relocation of library services to another building and digital learning resources to minimize academic disruption.

Plans are in motion to reconstruct the library with enhanced fireproofing, automated suppression systems, and cloud-based backups for digital collections.

The fire serves as a grim reminder that even prestigious institutions are vulnerable if fire preparedness and periodic maintenance are overlooked.